Mr Right: right beside me
by mychakk
Summary: Sydney has a crucial realization after coming back from vacation with Grey. Spoilers for Mr.Right and an explanation why Grey was never seen again.


_Hi!_

_This was inspired by the last scene of the episode 'Mr. Right'. I don't have the synopsis of the ep, so I'm trying to__ do my best and remember as much as possible from the scene. Any differences from the canon are unintentional. _

_**Warning:**__ spoilers for "Mr. Right"!_

_The ep was about Syd spending holidays with Grey – the most boring character in the whole show__ (although I had to admit he was gorgeous!). Thank God for Derek Lloyd or I'd have died of boredom, gotta love that special agent! Anyway, Grey was supposed to be the right guy for Sydney, but we don't see much of him later (not that I'm aware of it), and I wondered why is it so. Thus, this story was born. Especially after that heartwarming scene at the end of this episode. _

_Have a nice read!_

_Mycha_

**Disclaimer:**I own everything. In fact, I'm the genius that has crated the whole Relic Hunter and I'm… oh, what's that? A cup! What a beautiful Chalice… oops! The chalice of truth! Noooo! I o-own i-it…I own… yyy… I …d-don't …own anything. Damn! It's the truth, **I don't own anything.** Not Relic Hunters, not Sydney, and definitely, not the sexy Nigel. Damn that Chalice of truth:P

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_**Mr. Right…**_** right beside me**

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Sydney watched surprised as Karen took out her purse and gave Nigel ten bucks. _What the heck is going on here?_ She has just admitted that she had actually gone on a hunt during her vacation with Grey and hadn't managed to just relax and turn down any hunts as she had promised herself.

And her assistants were exchanging money on that!

A flare of anger ignited in her stomach. _Did they (especially Nigel!) dare to bet on her?_ Although, she couldn't help the melting of her heart at the satisfied smirk on her male assistant's face. He did know her pretty well, she noted smiling absentmindedly, and then her grin turned mischievous. _Boy, is he for a surprise this time!_

And just as she thought this the door to her office opened and a tall, brown haired man walked inside. _Here it goes!_ Thought Sydney gleefully as the man's arm slipped around her waist.

"Are we on tonight?" He asked nuzzling Sydney's neck with his nose. _The look on Nigel's face! It's priceless!_ She thought with fiendish glee and wasn't able to hide her pleasure from the satisfaction that filled her insides. _Ha! Serves him right for betting on me!_ Then she watched with a smirk as Karen snatched the bucks form her assistant's frozen hand.

"_Of course_ we are." She answered Grey with a special undertone never taking her eyes of Nigel. The grin on her face widened.

"You… you are going on a date? And still with Grey?" stuttered Nigel at the sight, surprised he was wrong with the betting. Sydney always puts hunts before any personal stuff!

"Well… some things are more important" she answered casually, her eyes twinkling.

"And some are worth the sacrifice" added Grey still smiling, his hand never leaving Sydney's waist. So far, he didn't notice her scheming against her assistant. "I know what the hunts means to Sydney and I accept it." His smile widened even more as he looked down at the ancient studies professor.

No one answered him and the silence began stretching around them more and more. Nigel was watching Sydney and Grey with wide eyes and shocked expression on his face; Karen, on the other hand, was silently watching from one of her two coworkers and best friends to another one. Not even a slight smile was gracing her features, and it looked as if she was analyzing something deeply.

Sydney just smiled slightly at Grey in response, trying to widen the slight smile into authentic beam, yet failing miserably. She tried to ignore the sudden pang in her heart at Grey's words. Despite the fact, that they were the very words she wanted to hear form any of her beaus, when she finally heard them, they surprisingly didn't _felt_ right. The _person_ saying them didn't felt right. Yet, Sydney couldn't fathom what was wrong with Grey saying them. Wasn't he the Mr. Right for her?

The doors opened again breaking the ever increasing awkwardness around them, and they all looked relieved at the door to see who came.

"How was the vacation?" asked a cheerful voice of a dark haired man with blue twinkling eyes. He walked around the still embracing couple, smiling widely.

"Derek!" exclaimed Nigel pleasantly.

"Nigel, buddy! So nice to see ya!" the agent shook the Englishman's outstretched hand "how are you?"

"Fine, thanks. You?"

"Usual." Derek smiled then turned toward Sydney. "So. Syd, I've got something you might be interested in." he reached into his bag and withdrawn a yellow folder then gave it to Sydney. "Check this out."

"What is it?" she opened the folder scanning the contents carefully. "No… Is this what I think it is?" The excitement in her voice brought Grey closer to her to have a look at the files.

"I smell a hunt!" said Derek in singsong voice, coming toward the pair. "It's supposed to be located in Peru, and we had almost all the clues. So what do you say? Are ya on it?"

"We can go together" added Grey squeezing Sydney slightly with his arm. "I still have some free time."

Nigel took a sudden step toward them, almost urgently, bringing their attention back on him.

"Um, Syd… Would you take me too?" he asked a bit uncertainly, despite the little grin on his face.

Sydney could tell immediately he was putting a brave face for their (or maybe his?) benefit. She felt her heart do a summersault and her insides melted at the sight. He looked so adorable asking the question and so… vulnerable. And… was that a fear she saw in his eyes? Why should he be afraid? And… there was something more hidden in his eyes… but she couldn't read it.

Sydney looked briefly around herself, first at Grey than at Derek, finally she glanced at Karen. The young blond woman was staring right back at Sydney, her eyes boring into hers. The look in her eyes expectant as if daring the ancient studies professor to try and say the wrong thing and thus hurt the Englishman.

Sydney's eyes settled again on the dear face of her assistant. Was he afraid she will ditch him for Grey of Derek? _How ridiculous of him!_ She smiled her teasing smile, the one she reserved only for Nigel and replied mischievously "We'll see."

Sydney's smile widened into wide grin as Nigel graced her with one of his brilliant smiles. She could see the understanding at her teasing in his eyes that were twinkling madly right back at her. He did know her pretty well, she noted again absentmindedly. Her heart began beating even faster then before as her eyes locked with Nigel's smiling ones, and for the first time since she could remember she felt the pleasant butterflies dancing in her stomach. She didn't felt this way since she had a crush on that guy in high-school! _What's happening to me?_

"So" her thoughts were interrupted again by the cheerful voice of the special agent. "Are we going on this hunt?"

Sydney felt unusually uncertain at what to do. She glanced at the eager face of Grey and expectant one of Derek. Then her eyes locked with Nigel's still twinkling ones. She could see the anticipation at the upcoming hunt and excitement at the thought of restoring a bit of the lost history to the modern world. The both of them were so similar it made her ache with unknown but not unpleasant pain. _He's so much like me despite being so different… _ It was a heartwarming knowledge to know there was always someone who understood you no matter what and despite everything. She was one lucky woman to have Nigel in her life!

And then she knew what she's supposed to do.

"Yes, Derek, we're on!" she exclaimed cheerfully now full in her 'hunting mode'. She turned toward her assistant never noticing when she has left Grey embrace "Nigel. Get your stuff and what might be needed. Karen, book us flight tickets to Peru, Lima, and find us some hotel to stay there. Make it-"she glanced briefly at Derek "three, I suppose."

"Coming right back" said Karen smiling cheerfully, as if something she saw made her suddenly very happy. She glanced at Grey pitifully, but it went unnoticed by Sydney, although not by the man himself.

Nigel has moved already to his desk and was packing his laptop, then got some documents he thought might be helpful to them. He turned toward Derek and asked on the detail of the upcoming hunt. They chatted happily while Nigel was removing some additional books form the nearest bookshelves and putting them into his back.

Sydney moved toward her office to grab her satchel, when a Grey's hand stopped her.

"Syd…" he sounded uncertain "So… I'm not coming, am I?" His eyes showing that he already knew the answer.

Sydney looked at him and sighed.

"I'm afraid not."

She turned toward him fully and grabbed both of his hands into hers, noticing absentmindedly that the beating of her heart didn't increase at Grey's touch as it had before.

"Listen, Grey" she locked her eyes with his "the hunts are pretty dangerous. Nigel and I are pretty used to it and you're not. We know how to behave in tough situations and we're a team that has a lot of experience. It'll be better this way. You'll be safe."

She didn't notice how it sounded, as if she was breaking things up with him. But he did. He looked into her eyes, and then everything made sense. He sighed resigned.

"I understand" he replied, really seeming to understand what she was trying to say.

Actually, he seemed to understand more then Sydney herself. She really did want him to be safe, but felt he didn't belong to the hunts. Not like her and Nigel. Grey seemed to know it too. _Maybe that's why his eyes were so sad,_ noted Sydney. They looked as if… as if he realized he has lost something that really wasn't even his to begin with. Sydney didn't understand what that look was supposed to mean.

"So I guess our date is postponed until the hunt is over, right?" he asked although not sure why he did so himself. Maybe to end the conversation, or maybe he still hoped a little…

"I-"

"Syd!" came Nigel's voice from the hallway "are you coming? The cab- oh, sorry! I'll wait with Derek outside." He said uncomfortably turning around.

Sydney's gaze lingered on his walking form then turned back to Grey. "I guess it's postponed" she said flatly.

Suddenly, the prospect of seeing Grey tonight or any night at all didn't sound as appealing as before. She took her hands form his and turned toward her office, only to be met with sympathetic look from Karen as she gave her the already packed satchel.

"Thanks Karen" she said quietly and headed toward the door after Nigel.

"Be careful" said the blonde secretary "Both of you."

Sydney only waved her hand never turning back or glancing at Grey. When she was outside her eyes met the worried ones of her assistant and she felt her heartbeat fasten at the sight. The thought of another hunt with Nigel (even if it involved some additional time with Derek) made the excitement flow pleasantly through her veins.

She smiled at Nigel and got a rewarding grin in return despite the concern still lingering in his eyes. They headed toward the cab and all thoughts of Grey flew away from her mind. She was only aware of the _man_ walking beside her. Just like he always did… quietly, constantly, faithfully.

_Maybe… maybe her Mr. Right was _right_ beside her all the time? _

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**The**** end**

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_**So how did it go?**_

_There __might__ be sequel, but not in the near future. _

_However, I do have another plotline (if you can have a plotline for a one-shot…) forming more and more clearly in my head. So there __might__ be another short story from me in the near future._

_Have a nice day, __**and drop me a line! **_


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